Sunday, November 26, 2017

Character Types: The Socially Awkward Cinnamon Roll

I admire characters who can spew forth witty dialogue,
characters who are dashing and brave, but I’m still drawn to those who don’t
know how to handle social interaction. As an introvert with a touch of social
anxiety, I can totally relate. Seriously, I’d rather deal with a 2,000-pound
horse, a dragon, or a bookshelf, than a 140-pound human being.

When it comes to a lot of socially awkward characters, I
want to shout, “My people!” Then go stand by them awkwardly, pull out a book,
and read in silence until I can work up the courage to make eye contact.

Why cinnamon roll, you might ask? For those unfamiliar with
this term, such characters are precious and fun and must be protected at all
cost.

Bilbo Baggins from The Hobbit

Bilbo: *as four dwarves start rearranging his
kitchen, his doorbell rings again* Oh no. No. There’s nobody home! Go away, and
bother somebody else! There’re far too many dwarves in my dining room as it is.
If this is some cluthead’s idea of a joke, I can only say, it is in VERY poor
taste!*He opens the door, and eight dwarves fall in a heap in
front of him*(The Hobbit: An
Unexpected Journey)

Bilbo Baggins is a homebody. He likes the comforts of a good
book, his armchair, and his garden. But he’s also an adventurer who relishes the
excitement of the road, which he gets from the Tookish side of his family. In
many ways, I can relate. Like Bilbo, I enjoy a good cup of tea with some peace
and quiet, and often it takes another person, not necessarily a party of
dwarves, to drag me out of the house.

Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon

Gobber: See, now this right here is what I'm talkin’
about!Hiccup: It, it... mild calibration issue, I...Gobber: Don’t you... no, Hiccup! If you ever want to
get out there to fight dragons, you need to stop all... this. *gestures to all
of Hiccup*Hiccup: But you just pointed to all of me!Gobber: Yes! That’s it! Stop being all of you!(How to Train Your Dragon)

Hiccup is awkward when it comes to conversations and
handling himself. Yet he’s brilliant at engineering, having been an apprentice
to a blacksmith. That and he’s empathetic, willing to take the time to
understand dragons while everybody else just wants to kill them. He’s both
relatable and admirable.

My sister and I recently re-watched the first movie, and I
realized how resilient Hiccup is. How many characters could take such a slew of
insults from friends and family and still want to save them? Then again, he is
a Viking. They have stubbornness issues.

Auri from The Kingkiller Chronicles

“She felt the panic rising in her then. She knew. She knew
how quickly things could break. You did the things you could. You tended to the
world for the world’s sake. You hoped you would be safe. But still she knew. It
would come crashing down and there was nothing you could do right. And yes. She
knew she wasn’t right. She knew her everything canted wrong. She knew her head
was all unkilter. She knew she wasn’t true inside. She knew.” (The Slow Regard of
Silent Things)

Auri isn’t quite like the other characters in The Kingkiller Chronicles, as she lives
underground and isolated from most of humanity. The protagonist of the main books,
Kvothe, theorizes that she was a former student at the University and the
stress drove her to madness, but her backstory isn’t definite. She’s a little
eccentric but rather sweet, believing that many objects have their own
personalities, thoughts, and place in the world.

Gil from Pandora Hearts

Now I’m really getting obscure! But I can’t help but mention
one of my favorite characters from a graphic novel series I’ve gotten into
lately. Gil likes his personal space, but he’s incredibly devoted to protecting
his friends and his master, ensuring their safety and happiness. Unlike Hiccup,
he knows how to carry himself, but he doesn’t know how to handle a bunch of
girls fawning over him at a social event. It’s kind of adorable.

Other notable Socially Awkward Cinnamon Rolls include Newt
Scamandar from Fantastic Beasts and Where
to Find Them, Barry Allen (The Flash) from Justice League, Caitlin from Mockingbird, Peter Parker from the Spider Man movies, and Finn from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.